enormities that might be committed by him.

Mr. Thompson was a wealthy planter and kept a general overseer, besides
the usual field bosses; yet there were other slaves on the plantation
who had the confidence of the master and were put at such service as
required intelligence and integrity.

The position in which I was now placed was difficult and onerous; but I
did my duty to the very best of my ability, and satisfactorily to my
master. The overseer soon found out that I was _his_ overseer; and he
used every means, and various plans, to drive me to do something that
would degrade me in the eyes of Mr. Thompson. It was only by reason of
the greatest forbearance and the very closest attention to my duties
that I escaped his machinations; and by attending to everything with the
most scrupulous care he could find no fault with me, that had truth for
its foundation. But the constant and pertinacious maliciousness of the
overseer, and my own weakness, eventually brought me to grief.

As a rule, when a bad and wicked man undertakes any species of
devilishness he generally prevails, for a time, and is apparently
successful in his schemes; and should he meet with failure at the onset
his want of success only maddens him to greater exertions and more
persistent efforts. Being urged by the devil, and the devil being a hard
driver, he either rushes to his own destruction or destroys the
happiness or lives of others. Thus I was placed in the crucible for
further refinement and regeneration. My humanity gave way for some time;
but God was with me, and in the end I prevailed. The overseer's name was
Hines, and he belonged to that class of southern whites who are noted
for their ignorance and brutality. He could read and write a
little,--just enough to make out a negro's pass or a receipt for money